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Are we born with past memories and some knowledge about the world around us or is it all learned after birth?
do we possess some knowledge about the world around us innately or is it all learned through experience? instinctual behaviour shown by most of the animals gives evidence about their past knowledge. also some concepts like collective unconscious by Carl Jung try to explain innate knowledge. what is your viewpoint? also are there any concrete researches throwing light on this topic?
Girish Bhamre
Roy Bourque 20+
Let me give you a possible clue. Every atom in the universe has the same underlying structure. Every electron is exactly alike. The same is true for protons and neutrons. Particle accelerators are used to unravel the universal code. That same code is in each and every atom in our bodies, including our brains. The symmetry of nature is the same throughout. The patterns of nature are all repetitive. That is the basic premise of science. DNA tells the cells how to build our bodies. What tells the cells how to build our brains? That is an unanswered question, but what we know is gleaned from the universal code, and it might have an effect during development.
Edgar Cayce was a clairvoyant of the last century. He diagnosed medical problems that stumped doctors, he himself not being a doctor. He claimed he received his information (while in trance) from the collective consciousness (which he referred to as the akashic records). He claimed the universe itself has a memory.
During meditation, I saw the principles of quantum fields eleven years before I received any formal instruction on the subject. Throughout my life, I have felt guided by a higher power that has served me well. I believe that we are connected to the cosmos in some way. I believe that life is a river that flows though time. You may find some information from the Association of Research and Enlightenment. See link;
www.edgarcayce.org
Girish Bhamre
Frans Kellner 100+
Among them Daniel Tammet is known to produce the number Pi up to a length of decimals that exceeds the power of a supercomputer. People think he has a trick in math but this isn't the case.
He just reads the numbers out one by one as shown to him in color and shape.
They're available to everyone that can connect to the universe, mindless with a strong focus on the question.
Every answer can be picked out of thin air as we aren't occupied with all the mental processes that are common to human beings.
http://www.neatorama.com/2008/09/05/10-most-fascinating-savants-in-the-world/
Girish Bhamre
One more question I've is how exactly this knowledge is transferred from one generation to other. Is it stored in the form of DNA? and why not all the memories are transferred from parents to children?
I think the unconscious part of the mind is a never ending mystery and we'll never be able to know, what all we possess in it.
Gerald O'brian 50+
However, the brain has had tons of time to evolve the way it is, just by trial and error. Variation and selection. Innate knowledge is absolutely necessary for any living thing. What to like, what to avoid. For complexe animals such as us, the information is consequently huge. Our environment is much richer than that of a bacterium, in terms of our possible range of interactions with it.
What makes us happy : love, children, friends, conversations, music, drawing, fighting, dancing, etc... is all innate.
But I think I'd rather not use "knowledge". I think "wiring" is a better word, since eveything I mention, every thing innate, needs to be activated. The human brain is wired to allow precise control of the fingers, but if for some reason you're not allowed to move them while you're developping, then it's lost.
We're wired to use both eyes and to build a 3D reality (which has nothing to do with reality), we're wired to enjoy sex, we're even wired to enjoy social networks such as this one (never mind the fact that it's online).
But, like Jung's archetypes, they need activation. And this is what child developpement is about. Especially in utero developpement it seems.
So Brains, hands, lungs, teeth... I would'nt speak of "past memories" to describe the information about them taht is encoded in our DNA. The only thing that our ancestor's hands did for our own hands is figure out a way to reproduce. What works at getting replicated is replicated. Simple as that, and not much to do with "collective unconscious", not in the way Jung meant it, at least.
The nature vs nurture debate is as dead as the dodo. Everyone knows that "nature" expects "nurture" to happen.
Girish Bhamre
Gerald O'brian 50+
But if I were to speculate, I'd start by asking myself how the first migrating bird got to the right location.
You say the wiring can explain about general behaviour. So let's imagine a flock of birds taking off in many different directions, according to the random wiring of each. The one bird with the wiring leading to the best location will have an advantage and after some generations, every bird that will have inherited the correct wiring will behave accordingly and successfully reach the promise land.
It does look like knowledge, but if you question the origin of that knowledge, I think it does seem like it's just behaviour that's been selected.
For that, we need to assume that behaviour is not completely random, that we act according to many factors that include genetical wiring of brain.
But we shouldn't have a problem with such an assumption.
Matthieu Miossec 100+
Girish Bhamre
Girish Bhamre
Matthieu Miossec 100+
There are also more subtle bits of physical 'memory' that are passed on. The mother's immune system is passed on to its child as are some other features that fall under the header of epigenetic features (anything that is passed on vertically but not through genes).
Matthieu Miossec 100+
Gerald O'brian 50+
we are! as Pinker and so many remind us, just considering the amount of learning and experiencing going on in utero. It's a shame that for so long whatever took place before birth was not considered to affect who you are.
Hey Matthieu, do you know about this experiment?
Mice are sorted out into two categories, two separate cages. In one cage, you've selected, generation over generation, the anxious mice. After a while you've got a cage full of anxious-only mice.
In the other cage, you do the same but with relaxed mice.
So you've artificially created an anxious population and a relaxed population.
A baby mice born in the anxious cage is always anxious. And a baby born in the relaxed cage is always relaxed.
BUT. Give a relaxed new-born to an anxious mother... It STAYS relaxed.
Same thing the other way around.
First hasty conclusion is that the baby's character is purely affected by it's genes.
NOW. Insert a relaxed embryo in an anxious mother... It BECOMES anxious.
So the environment affected it after all. Turns out the environment has stronger impact before birth than after.
Pinker writes about that too, fascinating. Isn't it?
Colleen Steen 500+
There is quite a bit of research "throwing light on this topic". Here is an interesting TED talk addressing this issue.
https://www.ted.com/talks/lang/en/annie_murphy_paul_what_we_learn_before_we_re_born
The child in the womb is so connected with the mother and the mother's environment, I cannot help but believe that the child is influenced way before birth. As I recall, Annie Murphy suggests that the child is already preparing, before birth, to enter the circumstances s/he will encounter after birth. I believe in the "collective unconscious" as Carl Jung called it. I believe there is an abundance of information available to us when/if we are open to the possibilities. I also believe in reincarnation, and depending on how aware we are of past lives, it may provide even more information.
Girish Bhamre
the link was helpful. although it focussed more on pregnancy, it provided good info. I came to know about your life experiences through some of your other posts. That was inspiring. I'll be interested in knowing, if you had any insightful experiences about the unconscious knowledge within yourself, during your recovery from brain damage.
Colleen Steen 500+
The life experience, for me, is an exploration, so yes, I've had many experiences from which I have learned:>)
The near death incident was one of the biggest learning experiences, and although there was brain damage, it seemed to have opened many channels of the brain/mind and created more interconnections.
While clinically unconscious in ICU, connected to life support systems, I was aware of a much bigger picture than I knew on a human level. I was aware of everything that was happening around me, aware of people's thoughts and feelings, and also aware of a much larger scene beyond the obvious.
I feel that our brain is very much like a computer in that there are different programs operating at different times, or at the same time, allowing us to access different information. When I was unconscious, the program that allows me to speak and connect on a human level was shut down. Other programs were still running even though the body was close to death clinically.
I had a review of my lives, and that was my first awareness that I may have had other lives. Reincarnation was not part of my belief system prior to the incident. The information I was aware of seemed to connect many things for me. For example, in this life, I have been very interested in body/mind healing, and that seems to be a thread that runs through many past lives. I had the opportunity to put information into practice with the head/brain injury. First, I was not expected to live, then I was told that I would never function "normally" again because of the damage to the brain.
Although there are some symtoms that persist at times, I function at an emotionally, and physically high level most of the time. I knew that I would function at some level beyond the prognosis...I had that information when I regained consciousness. Some might say it was wishful thinking? Some may say I was not being realistic? I knew:>)
We all have the ability to get more information when we open more channels.
Girish Bhamre
Frans Kellner 100+
Last week I saw a report about a new medical initiative here that was set up to help people with emotional problems after being nursed in a ICU.
Most people change and are confused because of their experiences that they can't explain to themselves or family.
Also family are involved because they are confused either if confronted with a changed personality. It seems to be a problem for many. To deal with this after effect some support can help to be informed and adapt to the new situation.
Reincarnation to me isn't the right word. As time isn't in fact real we live all lives now even though they appear to be centuries apart. We even can connect with future life's that are in progress. We connect telepathic through time as we connect through space. Any distance belongs to matter that to our soul doesn't matter.
Colleen Steen 500+
So Girish, you think my "high emotional state may be causing due to hyperactive limbic system" OK....whatever!!!
No, it is not the part of the brain which controls the limbic system activities that is most damaged.
I did some pretty extensive research based on medical model tests that were administered. It seems rather odd that you would try to diagnose...but....whatever!!!
My guess is that the information I presented does not fit into your belief system, so you are trying to explain it with the information you have at this time....that's ok:>)
I DO "live strong" Girish....and clear:>)
Girish Bhamre
Colleen Steen 500+
If you have "limited knowledge regarding brain activities", it is not appropriate to try to diagnose anyone, especially on a public forum. I am glad to give you information which you asked for, and I am less willing to share if I believe you are going to mis-represent any information I give you. You may learn more by listening to what people are telling you, rather than speculating.
Girish Bhamre
Colleen Steen 500+
To the best of my knowledge, I have not had a personality change. My reference to symtoms above,(Although there are some symtoms that persist at times), are in regards to an oversensitivity to light and sound at times...balance issues, headachs, dizzyness at times. Thanks for your concern.
It's ok if you don't think reincarnation is the "right word". I agree that time is a human construct, and does not exist in the spirit/energy form.
Colleen Steen 500+
You actually, very effectively demonstrated how we (humans) prevent ourselves from getting more information. You applied your "available knowledge". The knowledge you have at this time is probably accurate, and I've found, with my life exploration, that there is usually MORE knowledge. It's common for people to get "stuck" with the knowledge s/he has at any given time, and therefor, is not open to knew or different information.
There are a multitude of "channels" by which we can gather information, and many of them have been mentioned on this thread...universal knowledge, collective consciousness, information passed on with DNA/evolution, instinct, intuition. If we get "stuck" with one thought, idea, opinion or belief, then we are using only part of our "recieving" system. Like a computer for example. If we always run the same program, we get and use the same information. When we explore more programs, open the "search engine" to more possibilities, we get more information.
You ask in your introduction, do we get information "through experience", "Instinctual behaviour", "collective unconscious"?. In my perception, all of the methods you have mentioned, and more. Some folks use ONLY one or two methods of collecting information, thereby limiting themselves. The human body/mind is evolving all the time, and through science, we are recognizing more about how it works.
For example, 22 years ago, when I sustained the brain damage, medical professionals believed that because certain parts of the brain were damaged, I would lose certain functions. They now know that different parts of the brain reprogram, and create new pathways/connections for information.
Somehow, I knew that 22 years ago. Although they were telling me I would not function, I knew that I would. In the back of my mind (such as it was) I was thinking..."I learned these functions before, and I will learn them again at a level higher than anticipated"....and I did:>)
Girish Bhamre
Colleen Steen 500+
I wouldn't say that I have "overcome the damage". The damage is there, and will be for the rest of my life. I accepted that, and moved on. It's simply my perception of how I live my life. I do not "overcome" anything. I accept and move on to learn something new.
I only mention this because I think/feel it is an important part of getting new information. When we are trying to "overcome" something, there may be a struggle to "fix" it, or make it go away, or resistance to the reality. When we accept our circumstances, at any given moment with the intent to be open to new and different information, sometimes the task is not so painful. After the injury, I accepted the fact that I was not functioning as I was previously, and I faced the challenge with acceptance, which allowed me to move faster through the process of gaining new information.
It's important to be patient with ourselves throughout the process, understand and accept that we are in a different place physically and emotionally, which may be uncomfortable at times. I truly believe that acceptance is a big part of moving forward to create those new connections. Bodily systems are meant to flow, and when we resist or struggle, it actually blocks the systems from working as they "know" how to work.
I'm sending loving, healing energy to you and your father....best to you both Girish:>)
Girish Bhamre
Frans Kellner 100+
Experience (interaction with the world) highlight fractals that become conscious knowledge.
In a dream state more knowledge is accessible.
Without focus one is able to roam the unconscious world. It contains all stories ever lived, all forms created within color, sound and smell associating with your present existence.